Canada Wants Streamers to Start Paying More Taxes

[Shaka Zulu]

Yes, the Trudeau government wants streaming services to pay their fair share towards providing slots for Canadian shows to be on their services:

Are the streaming giants enjoying a free ride in Canada? That's been an increasingly vocal complaint from content creators and regional governments north of the border as Netflix and Amazon continue to take full advantage of generous Canadian shooting incentives and state-of-the-art facilities in an environment that is largely free of regulation. Now, as the streaming wars intensify with the arrival of Disney+, Apple TV+, Peacock and HBO Max, pressure is mounting for the streamers to start giving back.

"They are already spending money in Canada. All we're asking is for them to do it in a more organized way [toward] Canadian cultural content available for Canadians, and for audiences around the world," Steven Guilbeault, the Canadian heritage minister responsible for broadcasting, told THR while attending the Prime Time conference in Ottawa in January.

Defying long-standing calls from regional indie producers and broadcasters to impose a direct levy on the revenues of Netflix, Google and Amazon, upcoming legislation to revamp broadcast and telecom rules is expected to leave such U.S. big-tech players mostly unregulated and untaxed.

"We're not telling them what categories of content to produce, we're not telling them where to produce it — we're just telling them that they have to take a certain amount of the money they're already spending in Canada and make sure it complies with Canadian-content requirements," Guilbeault says.

Netflix already appears to be making concessions. Later this year the streamer will debut its first indigenous Canadian movie, Jusqu'au Déclin, directed by Patrice Laliberté in Quebec.

"We all have a role to play in supporting the future of film and television being created in Canada," a rep for Netflix says in a statement. "We look forward to working with the government as it proceeds to modernize Canada's broadcasting and telecommunications laws."

Canada Wants Streamers to Start Paying More Taxes

This is a great thing to want, but I hope that Canadian production companies can make movies and TV shows up to the standard of the American and foreign ones that are on Netflix; the comments about this on the website of The Globe & Mail weren't exactly nice about it.

 

[Owain Taggart]

This boils down to the Canadian Government wanting Streaming services to contribute more to the system they're using, from paying more taxes, to contributing more to domestic content. Technically, I think it's a good idea on principle, but I could also see it backfiring, with the big ones raising their prices to accommodate more of the taxes being paid.

And before anyone jumps in asking, "Why should Netflix et al, be producing Canadian content? Why can't we do that on our own?" Fact of the matter, in terms of Streaming services, we're a bit more limited in what we have access to, and if and when we do, that content is usually more limited. We have to rely on the big streaming services because frankly, we don't have much in terms of domestic streaming services. The Canadian government sees a lot of American productions being produced locally (Sometimes not seen locally), which is contributing positively to the economy, along with the work that it provides. But it would like to see the Streaming services not just using our system for cheap production, but pumping money back into it, which could only benefit everyone in the domestic industry in the end.

 

[tomswift2002]

It’s also because more people are jumping to the internet for their shows, which I can’t blame them. TV stations in Canada have had to air a certain quota of Canadian content for decades. However in the past 20 years with CTV, Shaw and CBC trying to produce cheaper shows while keeping profits high, we’ve mostly seen more news programs (or extensions to current news programs to meet the quota) and home Reno/reality TV shows. The last Canadian scripted show that was on the big 3 Networks that I can really recall hearing people talking about was “Degrassi The Next Generation” over 10 years ago. Otherwise, most of the airwaves are filled with American hospital shows like “The Good Doctor” or “Grey’s Anatomy” and or police procedural like “Law & Order SVU”, and the Canadian shows like “Coroner” and that detective show set in Toronto around 1890 are generic imitations just with some Canadian branding like being set in Toronto vs New York.

So I think with these new regulations, the CRTC is hoping to get, and I don’t mean duplicates set in the 2020’s”, shows that when you think of them are Canadian and stand-our in years to come as Canadian like “The Littlest Hobo” or “My Secret Identity” or “Bordertown” or “Mr. Dressup”.

 

[Shaka Zulu]

^There are truly recent original shows being made on CBC, like Anne With An 'E', Kim's Convience, and that one about the high school teacher, the title of which I forget, plus Private Eyes, a detective show starring Jason Priestly as an ex-hockey player turned private eye, which airs on Global. So no, the situation isn't as bad as people make it out to be.

 

[Owain Taggart]

that detective show set in Toronto around 1890 are generic imitations just with some Canadian branding like being set in Toronto vs New York.

Oh, you mean Murdoch Mysteries, which is actually more unique than a lot of things out there now, one thing for being set in the 1890s, well 1900s now seeing as they've moved past that, and for the unique things that it does that I haven't seen any other show tackle.

Canadian like “The Littlest Hobo”

A while back, there was a a lot of hype about The Littlest Hobo returning, and according to the amount of hype, I'd have thought something new had been developed, but it was just the old episodes that hadn't even been remastered. But I've been thinking for a few years now, given how cheaply produced that TV show was back in the day, that a new version could be cheaply produced to fill some quota and I don't think anyone would mind watching new episodes.

So no, the situation isn't as bad as people make it out to be.

Yeah, there is a lot of content out there, but it is a matter of getting the content to people in a convenient manner. It's more or less the platforms that we're missing.

 

[tomswift2002]

[QUOTE="Owain Taggart”]
A while back, there was a a lot of hype about The Littlest Hobo returning, and according to the amount of hype, I'd have thought something new had been developed, but it was just the old episodes that hadn't even been remastered. But I've been thinking for a few years now, given how cheaply produced that TV show was back in the day, that a new version could be cheaply produced to fill some quota and I don't think anyone would mind watching new episodes.[/QUOTE]
The CTV version that ran from 1979-1985 was shot on videotape, so there’s no film to remaster, unlike the 60’s American syndicated series.

 

[Marc]

Oh, you mean Murdoch Mysteries, which is actually more unique than a lot of things out there now, one thing for being set in the 1890s, well 1900s now seeing as they've moved past that, and for the unique things that it does that I haven't seen any other show tackle.

the tv movie/pilot that started it all (which I haven't seen) had Colm Meaney as Brackenreid.

 

[Owain Taggart]

the tv movie/pilot that started it all (which I haven't seen) had Colm Meaney as Brackenreid.

Yep, three TV movies were made starring Colm Meaney as Brackenreid, and Peter Outerbridge as Murdoch. Interestingly, Peter Outerbridge guest-starred in an episode of the TV series, but as his mentor. I've only ever seen parts of the first one, as they seem to be really hard to find.

unlike the 60’s American syndicated series.

Was that the B+W version?

 

[Shaka Zulu]

Was that the B+W version?

Yes, it was.

Yeah, there is a lot of content out there, but it is a matter of getting the content to people in a convenient manner. It's more or less the platforms that we're missing.

There are two Canadian streaming services, Crave TV and CBC Gem, that Canadian shows could be on.

 

[Owain Taggart]

There are two Canadian streaming services, Crave TV and CBC Gem, that Canadian shows could be on.

Yeah, I know, but at least with CBC Gem, it's restricted to whatever CBC releases. CraveTV is a bit better in its range, but it could still be better. And I have to clarify: When I said content is usually more limited, I meant in terms of Netflix, so my bad on not clarifying earlier. Just look at the Canadian category on Netflix and there isn't really all that much.

 

[Tenacity]

A government that wants more tax money, what a surprise.

 

[tomswift2002]

Yes, it was.

Actually the 60’s version was shot in color and aired in black & white. Unfortunately, the color masters for the intros and end credits have been lost, so on the DVD’s/digital files/recent broadcasts the actual episodes are in color but the intros and end credits are b&w.

 

[Owain Taggart]

I've only ever heard of the B+W version and not seen it and I guess the 80's version is the one I'm familiar with. After you mentioned it being shot on tape, I realized I had read something years ago that said that, so no wonder it doesn't look too great now. That makes a new version an even better idea. Didn't realize the B+W version was actually American. That theme song though, so iconic.

 

[tomswift2002]

The song’s writer, Terry Bush, released “Maybe Tomorrow” commercially on CD in 2005.

Here’s an ad that was released in 2017 for Canada’s 150 using “Maybe Tomorrow” from Littlest Hobo.

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[M'rk son of Mogh]

The last Canadian scripted show that was on the big 3 Networks that I can really recall hearing people talking about was “Degrassi The Next Generation” over 10 years ago

Schitt's Creek added an American Emmy to their Canadian awards. It's getting talked about quite a bit lately on both sides of the border since airing Pop network and Netfix and because of that. The cast is on all of the US talk shows of late.
https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/schitts-creek-netflix-pop-success-story.html